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MintBox Mini Pro

If you can’t remember my earlier posts about Linux Mint’s very own preinstalled computer, the Mint Box, then I can’t help you. Sorry, much to lazy now to search my own blog for those earlier posts. It’s easy enough for you to find them yourself if you’re so inclined. 😉

Anyway in today’s post I wanna tell you about their latest offering … which is better and faster (although less mint) than it’s predecessors. Talking ’bout the MintBox Mini Pro:

100 Dollers more expensive. But is it 100$ more gooderer?

Come on now, you know the deal with all those minimicroweetinylittleitsybitsyteenieweenie computers by now: Nowadays you’ll receive an astonishing amount of computational power in a ultra small form factor and quiet box for not much money. It’s cool with almost everything you throw at it, apart from gaming and video editing probably.

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13 comments

It isn’t a “bad” price. Personally I would just build something like this which specs out the same but offers upgradeability and is probably better components overall for the money https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Rz4NwV

Uhg forgot to mention ..the AMD platform on that APU is already 5 years old..DDR3?? Why would you buy a computer in 2017 that uses DDR3? The more I look at this the more I would say just build a Ryzen 3 on the new b350 motherboards they have and start with current technology versus buying 5 year old technology which wasnt even that great 5 years ago.

sorry to seem like I am trolling I am not, but just look at this CURRENT gen PC you could build on AMD’s new Ryzen CPU and well if you know computers at all you know this system is far superior to that mint box for what 65 more dollars? https://pcpartpicker.com/list/

Jacqueline, sorry to disappoint you but I found your replies very well thought out, well presented and even very well reasearched. With the PC part picker stuff n all. That’s far above any trolling level. You could’ve written: “Yo shit stinks, I have better shit for yall!” That woulda been trolling … and correct at the same time.

I know neither of the Mint Boxes, not even the first, more expensive ones, where power computers. Neither are they gamers. But that’s not what these things are all about, Jackie. They are fukn minimicrosmall form factor PCs which don’t cost much money but come with Linux Mint preloaded and give the ordinary changeling a cost effectve and secure way to switch from Win/Mac to Linux. A Mint Box is for playing and experimenting without putting your main production system at risk in the first place. I use my micro Lenovo “Gaga” for that, also a weak but sexy i3, which I found at a discounter PC store. You know America is different in many ways, people are living very remote and far off any supply. They can’t just go out and come back home after 10 minutes with a brand new computer, they have to wait days for delivery. These are the people the Mint Boxes are aimed at.

Is gaga perfect? No, fuk no! Far from. But it’s sexy and tiny and pretty fast enough to install a new Linux every couple days and play with it. Rarely do I use it for sincere blogging and SLing but it’s just standing on my desk, catching dust. But when I need it it is there for me. And it’s mighty powerful enough to replace my good computer for some days when MiniMax is at the lesbian workshop.

Believe it or not, the average computer user finds these basic things, like installing a new OS, already a complex task. It’s how it is. You and me, we can sneer about it, feeling super superior and like the coolest shits, still it’s this very important first step that puts most people off Linux … before they even get started. 😮 I guess most people haven’t even heard of PC Part Picker, and even if, it’s out of their mind’s range.

I remember my first contact with Linux was not very nice. I had problems doing what I wanted to do and switched back to Windows (7 at that time) a couple times. I could do that even tho I only had one PC, because I kept all my personal data and all my workfiles (blog, photos, music, moovies etc.) on external hard drives so I didn’t even need to make backups before I switched from Win to Lin. 🙂 In the end, even after I found out I can have both systems on my computer at the same time, I noticed I spent more time in the used and well lived in Windows environment than in Linux. It really needed some mockery and trolling by my husbando to finally drop Windows completely and trying to still be my awesome self in Linux. Kinda worked out for me since I’m easily satisfied on housewife level computing.

See, I was stupid. But at least I was brave! Most people don’t like to live such risky “lifestyles”, and for them those Mini Mint Boxes are heaven-sents. Add to that the fanless quiet operation for which CompuLab are so famous and you have the near perfect second PC in your setup. These things even come with brackets, so you can mount them on the backside of your screen. Perfection. For them.

I hear the things you are saying. I still feel it is anti consumer of them to present something as “New” and then offer up a 5 year old outdated platform with DDR3. They could do better for the same money.

Tee hee, let’s not forget that the Mint Mini thing is made by CompuLab, which is an Israeli company. And we know how those Arabs/Jews/Palestinians are. Make the most profit out of nothing. 😮 Still I guess it’s a rather sexy little box, kinda stylish andnot expensive at all … and whisperquiet due to its fanless design. Even my similarly small Lenovo thing has a fan and sometimes makes noises. My i3 is probably faster but the Mint Box is mighty fast enough for what most people are using it for: A Linux powered entertainment center.

I was only staying with AMD based on the specs but you know they could have made that box with a skylake or kaby lake i3 and it would have performed even better, had ddr4 etc. and offered it for the same price. People do get dazzeled by the older AMD multi cores..but the dual core I3 you have smokes that cpu due to its incredibly higher Instructions per clock. Few people are using more than 3 threads ever..2 cores/4 threads is fine for most but the power user.